Sports Lowdown

Krista Patterson - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography Krista Patterson hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning Friday and the Florida Tech Panthers never looked back, beating Lynn 8-3 in the opening game of the final series of the Panthers softball season. Florida Tech (26-23, 11-11 SSC) earned 12 hits in this one, with Hailey Leonard , Alexus Smith , Makayla Palmer , Patterson and Kaitlin Buchholz all collecting two hits each. Florida Tech pitcher Rachel Pence did give up 11 hits, but she minimized the damage, allowing just three runs. She struck out seven and did not walk a batter, in her 116 pitch, complete-game performance. The Panthers got on the board first in the top of the third inning, against Fighting Knights starter Francais Olexa. Leonard led off the inning with a grounder to third that was misplayed and turned into a two-base error. One out later, Smith singled and the Panthers were up, 1-0. Lynn (24-19, 10-9 SSC) were able to tie things ...

Vanessa Rubio - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Florida Tech Panthers used two big innings to make quick work of the Eckerd Tritons on Friday in game one of a Senior Day doubleheader. Makayla Palmer went 3-for-4 at the dish, Vanessa Rubio hit two homers and Krista Patterson added one of her own in a 13-3 win over Eckerd at Nancy Bottge Field on Friday afternoon. The Panthers jumped on Eckerd starter Grace Willeck for six runs in the bottom of the second inning. Palmer led off with a single and came home on Patterson’s two-run shot to center. Rubio went back-to-back, hitting her first of the day and giving the home team a 3-0 lead. Willeck continued to struggle, walking Kaitlin Buchholz , hitting Karina Suicava with a pitch and giving up a single to Hailey Leonard . Willick was able to get Sarah Hayes on strikes, before giving way to Madison Saltzman with one out in the inning. The pitching change didn’t do much good, as Alexus Smith drilled a double to th...

Hailey Leonard - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Florida Tech Panthers won the front end of a doubleheader with Florida Southern on Saturday, winning game one 3-2, but falling 10-2 in game two. The second game was called after five innings, thanks to the eight-run rule. Amanda Kahn got the start in game one for the Panthers, facing Hannah Loyer and the two battled through four scoreless innings, to start the game.  Kahn did give up two singles in the second inning, but Makayla Deuberry grounded one to Krista Patterson at short, who started the inning-ending double play. Kahn got out of more trouble in the third, after giving up a double and a single to start the inning, she got the next three batters in order. Hailey Leonard finally got the Panthers offense started in the fourth with a double, but a strikeout and a double play, left her stranded. Florida Tech would get another chance in the top of the fifth and they would cash in. Patterson dou...

Katie Maiello - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography Makayla Palmer knocked in two runs and Katie Maiello had three of the five Florida Tech hits Friday night, leading their team to a 3-1 victory over Florida Southern in a Sunshine State Conference softball clash. Florida Tech (22-21, 7-9 SSC) struck first in the top of the third. Hailey Leonard was hit by a pitch for the third time in the last two days. Maiello singled and went to second on the throw that Leonard drew at third base. After Florida Southern starter Brandi Jones (2-10) hit Alexus Smith to load the bases, she walked Krista Patterson one out later, giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead. The Mocs (13-20, 4-12 SSC) tied things up in the bottom of the inning, against Florida Tech starter Rachel Pence . After striking out the first two batters, Pence gave up a single to Desirae Klumpp. She would eventually score on a passed ball. Leonard would start the fifth the same way she started the third, taking one...

Karina Suicava - Photo credit: James Ragan The Florida Tech softball team has been playing well as of late, but they ran into a buzz saw on Wednesday, losing to the fifth-ranked Saint Leo Lions 11-3 in game one and 7-0 in game two. The first game was picked up in the top of the first, after lightning forced the game to be suspended on Tuesday. With the sweep, the Lions run their win streak to 10 in a row, while Florida Tech had won two in a row. In game one, Saint Leo got on the board in the top of the second, when Alyssa Wash had an RBI double against Florida Tech starter Rachel Pence . The Lions would break things open in the third, with a seven-run outburst. After Karina Suicava made a great diving catch to rob Rachel Heath of a hit to start the inning, Pence walked Ciera Schumaker and Samantha Ohmie. After Brittany Creamer singled to load the bases. A walk and a hit by pitch made it 3-0 and after Pence got Wash on strikes, an RBI fielder’s choice by Sommer Pol...

Rachel Pence - Photo credit: James Ragan Starting pitcher Lexie Storrer retired 20 of 23 Florida Tech batters on Friday, leading the Nova Southeastern Sharks to a 2-0 Sunshine State Conference win at Nancy Bottge Field. The Sharks (20-17) got on the board immediately, with a leadoff home run from Dana Edmundson, against Panthers starter Rachel Pence . Edmundson showed why she leads the team in hitting, sending one off the top of the right field wall that bounced over, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead. An error and singles from Storrer and Alex Suzuki led to the Sharks second run and that was more than enough on this day. On the mound Storrer allowed one hit in her complete-game effort, giving up a single to Krista Patterson in the fourth inning. Hailey Leonard walked in the bottom of the first, but was erased on a caught stealing. The only other baserunner the Panthers had was Kaitlin Buchholz , who reached on an error in the fifth. Karina Suicava appeared to ...

Alexus Smith  - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography After hitting home runs in separate innings in game one , Alexus Smith and Hailey Leonard went back-to-back in game two, helping the Florida Tech Panthers to a 5-3 win over Palm Beach Atlantic and a split of a Saturday doubleheader at Nancy Bottge Field. Smith had two of the Panthers four hits in the contest and scored two runs. “This was big,” said Panthers coach Val Silvestrini. “I feel like we’re getting better in conference play and getting used to this series now.” As they did in game one, the Sailfish drew first blood in game two. Alexis Guerra led off with a double against Panthers starter Amanda Kahn . She later scored on a double by Magnolia West, giving the visitors an early 1-0 lead. Florida Tech (16-17) got that run back in the bottom of the third, against Palm Beach Atlantic starter Ashton Adkins. Smith started things with a single and Leonard was hit by a pitch. Krista Patterson hit into ...

Rachel Pence - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography Florida Tech got their second win of the day on Wednesday, in convincing fashion, beating Kutztown University 5-2. Rachel Pence , who earned a no-decision in the Panthers 5-4 win over the Caldwell Cougars in the morning game, came back with a complete game three hitter in game two. Pence (9-9) has had her struggles this year and their game been times her defense has let her down, but in this game, Pence was on top of her game, striking out seven, to go along with the six she had in game one. She only gave up one hit in the first six innings. Sara Keeny laid down a bunt single. That was long after the Panthers offense gave Pence a nice cushion. Florida Tech (14-16) got on the board in the bottom of the first. Katie Maiello drew a one out walk and came home on a Krista Patterson double. Patterson then scored when Makayla Palmer reached on an error, giving the Panthers a 2-0 lead. The Panthers added to the lead i...

Hailey Leonard - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography Florida Tech came from behind Wednesday, beating nationally ranked Caldwell, 5-4 in eight innings. Alexus Smith capped off a 3-for-5 day with an RBI single, driving in Rachel Kraak , who started the inning at second base, as per the international tiebreaker rules. The eighth inning would have never happened if not for Hailey Leonard , who came up in the bottom of the seventh with two outs and hit a game-tying home run against Caldwell starter Sydney Ponto, tying the game, 4-4. The Cougars (4-7) broke through in the top of the fourth, against Panthers ace Rachel Pence . Marisa Monasseri and Carly Testa hit back-to-back singles. Hannah Polak knocked in pinch-runner Demitria Kitrinos, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead. The Panthers (13-16) answered with a run in the bottom of the frame, but could have had more. Leonard tripled and one out later, Karina Suicava tried to lay down a squeeze bunt, but missed and Leona...

After a back-and-forth affair between Barry and Florida Tech in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, the teams put on one heck of an encore, with Florida Tech pulling out a 14-13 victory at Nancy Bottge Field and earning a much-needed split. “That’s something I’m really proud of, these kids keep battling and never quit,” said Panthers coach Val Silvestrini after the game. “We had to come back in several situations.” A single by Hailey Leonard in the bottom of the seventh, drove in the 27 th run of the game and capped off over four hours of baseball between the two games.  The victory meant the Panthers avoided a sweep and more importantly, gave them their first conference win of the season. Things did not start well for Florida Tech, as Barry got an unearned run against starter Amanda Kahn , when shortstop Krista Patterson dropped a ball that would’ve ended the inning. After a fielder’s choice kept the inning going, Kahn got Avery Cotterill, swinging to end the ...

Lynsey Duncan spoiled a valiant Florida Tech comeback in game one of Saturday’s Sunshine State Conference showdown, as she laced a game-winning two-run single back up the middle, sending the Barry Buccaneers to a 7-5 win over Florida Tech. The loss was especially disheartening for the Panthers, who came from 4-1 down and 5-4 down, to force extra innings, only to have it slip away in the ninth. Rachel Pence took the loss, falling to 8-9, despite her complete-game effort. The scoring started in the top of the third, with Cheyanne head hitting a one out triple to right field. The throw back in was off target, allowing Head to score. Florida Tech (11-16) got the run back in the bottom of the inning. Krista Patterson drew a one out walk and later scored on a single by Makayla Palmer , on a 3-2 pitch out of the hand of Barry starter Christie Falcon. The tie didn’t last long, with Barry getting singles by Kristina Osorio and Maddy VonHagel, followed by a run-scoring doub...

The Florida Tech softball team managed just three hits on Friday against Barry, falling by the score of 5-1. The Panthers have now lost 11 of their last 13 games and they are 0-4 in the Sunshine State Conference. Things looked good early for the Panthers, with starting pitcher Rachel Pence giving up two singles in the top of the first and then going on a run where she retired 10 in a row, between the second and fourth innings. Anieliese Palmeiro started in the circle for the Buccaneers, but she didn’t make it through the second inning. Geneva Santos went the final six innings and picked up the victory. Florida Tech (11-15, 0-4 SSC) gave Pence a run to work with in the bottom of the third when number nine hitter Karina Suicava doubled and later scored on a sac fly by Krista Patterson . The play at the plate was close, but Suicava was called safe and the Panthers were up 1-0. The top of the fifth got off to a rough start for the Panthers when Maddy VonHagel hit a ...

Florida Tech took their road show to Rome, GA on Wednesday, for a doubleheader against the Shorter Hawks. The 12-game road trip did not end well for the Panthers, who lost game one 6-5 and game two, 7-0. Things got off to a rough start for the Panthers in game one, as Shorter scored four unearned runs against starter Amanda Kahn (3-4) in the bottom of the first. The Hawks took advantage of two errors in the frame. Tiffany Holland singled to start the game and Maddie Hunt reached on an error. Ericka Bynum, who had a heck of a day at the plate, singled and Holland held at third, but scored on another error. Peyton Barthel’s RBI ground out made it 2-0 and an RBI single by Taylor Martin made it 3-0. The Hawks capped the inning with an RBI double off the bat of Hailey Baswell. That was the end of the day for Kahn, who was lifted after two-thirds of an inning. She allowed five hits, but no earned runs, facing just eight batters. McKenzie Krutsinger came on to record the ...

The Florida Tech softball team needed a win badly and they got it on Tuesday, beating the University of Alabama in Huntsville 2-1, snapping an eight-game losing streak in the process. After losing game one of the series Monday night, to the 16 th ranked Chargers, the Panthers earned the split on this night, though it didn’t come easily. Panthers starter Rachel Pence pitched a complete game, giving up one run on four hits. She struck out two and did not walk a batter, throwing 89 pitches. Chargers starter Emily Glover kept pace for the first four innings, as neither team could get a hit. Audrey Gangloff finally broke the seal, picking up the game's first with a leadoff single in the fifth. She was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Kaitlin Buchholz , but Glover retired the next two to keep the game scoreless. Florida Tech (11-12) finally got on the board in the sixth, starting with Krista Patterson reaching on an error. Vanessa Rubio got her to second on a groun...

The Embry-Riddle Eagles swept a doubleheader from Florida Tech on Saturday, with a 4-3 game one win and a 6-1 win in game two. It was the third straight win for the Eagles, who beat Florida Tech in the series opener on Friday. With the Eagles being a provisional member of the Sunshine State Conference, the victories count in the overall standings, but they do not count against Florida Tech as conference losses., That may be the only silver lining the Panthers can take away from the weekend. Errors hurt the Panthers in Friday’s game and they committed three more in game one on Saturday. Two of those led to Embry-Riddle scoring twice against Panthers starter Rachel Pence in the top of the first. Anna Battison singled and went to second on a throwing error. After a walk, Maggie Scott reached on a fielder’s choice, bringing Kendall Funk to the plate. She lifted a fly ball to left that resulted in an error and allowed both runs to score. Florida Tech put together a tw...